The successful extraction of nearly one ton of nuclear material from Serbia last month is a prime example of the type of international cooperation that is needed in the post-Cold War world. The U.S.-Russian program responsible for performing the operation is vital to prevent terrorists from procuring the essential ingredients for a nuclear bomb. While the current initiative is bilateral in nature, other nations, including Japan, should look for ways to assist and facilitate such programs.
Recently, nearly 809 kg of highly enriched nuclear fuel and materials were removed from the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences and transported to Russia. The fuel had been given to Yugoslavia in 1976 for peaceful nuclear research; a decade later, the institute itself was closed and its reactors were decommissioned.
According to Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry, there was enough fuel at Vinca to develop more than two nuclear warheads. The U.S. government organized and paid for the operation, which is part of a program to decommission the Vinca site. The Yugoslav government cooperated, and the Russians will process the uranium into a low-enriched form.